Mounting means for folding table legs



April 24, 1956 HOWARD 2,743,147

MOUNTING MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Filed Feb. 25, 1954 Z/ INVENTORELMER HOWARD ATTORNEYS 2,743,147 I MOUNTING MEANS FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGSElmer Howard, Escanaba, Mich. Application February 23, 1954, Serial No.411,889 2 Claims. (Cl. 311-99 This invention appertains to foldingtables, such as card tables, and more particularly to a novel folding orcollapsible leg therefor.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a folding legstructure, which will be durable and efiicient in use, one that will besimple to' manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market andincorporated with a table top at a low cost.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide means whereby theleg will be automatically and firmly locked in its extended position, asthe leg is swung outwardly, without the manipulation of latches, etc. bythe user.

A further important object of my invention is to provide a folding legstructure in which the releasing of the leg to permit collapsing orfolding thereof is accomplished by the mere shifting of the leglaterally as a unit.

A still further object of my invention is to provide novel means forbracing the leg and for utilizing a part of the brace means and legitself as the lock for holding the leg in its set up or extendedposition.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will behereinafter more specifically described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which drawing, 7

Figure 1 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a table equipped with oneof my novel folding legs, the leg being shown in its folded or collapsedout of the way position;

Figure 2, is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 22of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the leg in itsextended set up position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view tak en at right anglesto Figure 3 and on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail horizontal sectional view taken on theline 5--5 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter Tgenerally indicates a table equipped with my novel folding leg structureand lock L.

While I have shown the folding leg associated with a table, it is to beunderstood that the leg can be used with any desired type or characterof furniture. As illustrated, the table T includes a top 16 having adepending marginal rim or skirt 11.

The folding leg and lock structure L includes an attaching bracket 12,which in the present form includes a straight body portion 13 andangularly extending branches 14. These branches 14 are secured to theinner surface of the rim 11, in any desired way, such as by screws 15.The bracket 12 has been formed to fit in a corner 2,743,147 PatentedApr. 24, 1956 of a table, but it is to be understood that the shape ofthe bracket can be changed to suit various applications. In accordancewith my invention, however, the straight body portion 13 has formedthereon a pair of inwardly extending spaced parallel arms 16 and 17, andthese arms 16 and 17 are arranged in parallel relation to the lowersurface of the table top 10. The'inner surface of the arm 16 has formedtherein a substantially semicircular keeper recess 18 and the outer faceof the arm 17 has formed therein a keeper recess 19, The keeper recesses18 and 19 extend-transversely of theirrespeclive arms and at rightangles to thetable top Ill.

Slidably and rotatably mounte d within the arms16 and 17 is a shaft orpivot rod-20 and thisshaft has rigidly secured thereto for movementtherewith the upper end of a leg 21. The leg can be of any desired shapein cross-section and in the present instance, the same has been shown ofa cylindrical shape and can be made from a length of tube, if sodesired.

The outer lower end of the leg can be provided with any preferred typeof foot 22. By referring to Figures 1, 4 and 5, it can be seen that theleg is disposed between the arms 16 and 17. Rigidly secured to theopposite sides of the leg below the shaft 20, such as by a rivet 23, areoutwardly extending brace straps 24 and 24. The extreme upper'ends ofthese straps receive the terminals of the shaft 20. The straps arerigidly secured to the shaft 29 for movement therewith in any desiredway. For a purpose, which will now appear, the recess 18 is shaped toreceive the upper end of leg 21 and the recess 19 is shaped to snuglyreceive the upper end of the brace strap 24 when the leg is in itsupright vertical position. Coiled about the shaft 20 and confinedbetween the leg 21 and the arm 17 is an expansion spring 25 and thisexpansion spring normally tends to urge the leg 21 toward the inner faceof the arm 16 and the brace strap 24' adjacent to the arm 17 toward saidarm 17.

Considering that the leg 21 is in its collapsed folded position, asshown in Figures 1 and 2, and it is desired to open and lock the leg,then it is merely necessary for the user to grasp the leg and swing thesame outward to itsv vertical position. When the leg reaches itsvertical position, the spring 25 will automatically shift the leg 21,the shaft 20 and the brace straps 24, 24' laterally and the leg and thebrace 24 adjacent to the arm 17 will snap into the keeper recesses 18and 19 respectively; Hence the leg will be automatically locked whenmoved to its open position. The inter-engagement of the above parts willfirmly lock the leg in its open position and the brace straps 24, 24'prevent side wabble of the leg. When it is desired to collapse the legand move the same under the table top, it is merely necessary to shiftthe leg laterally to move the leg and its associate parts out of therecesses 18 and 19 against the tension of the spring 25. At this time,the leg can be swung inwardly.

The spring 25 exerts sufficient tension to hold the leg in its collapsedposition.

Changes in details may be made. without departing from the spirit ofthis invention or the scope of the appended claims, what 1 claim as newis:

1. In a table including a top; a folding leg structure thereforincluding a bracket carried by the inner face of I said top having apair of inwardly directed spaced parallel arms, a shaft slidably androtatably carried by said arms, said shaft having a length greater thanthe distance between the outer opposite sides of said arms, a table legrigidly secured to the shaft for movement therewith having its upper enddisposed between the arms, one of said arms being provided with avertical keeper" recess and said leg being movable into said recess whenin its extended vertical position, and an expansion coil spring coiledabout said shaft confined between the leg and one of said arms fornormally urging the leg into the keeper recess when the leg is in itsvertical position.

2. In a folding table having a top; a folding leg structure thereforincluding a bracket carried by the inner surface of said top including apair of spaced parallel inwardly directed arms, a shaft rotatably andslidably carried by the arms, said shaft having a length greater thanthe distance between the outer opposites of said arms, a table leghaving its upper end rigidly secured to the shaft for movement therewithdisposed between said arms, brace straps rigidly secured to the oppositesides of the leg and diverging outwardly from said leg and having theirupper ends rigidly secured to the opposite ends of the shaft, said armsbeing provided with keeper recesses for receiving respectively the legand one of said brace straps when the leg is in a vertical extendedposition, and an expansion spring coiled about the shaft and confinedbetween the leg and one arm for normally urging the leg toward itskeeper recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS166,263 Crawford Aug. 3, 1875 1,300,861 Otte Apr. 15, 1919 1,646,333Whitney .Q Oct. 18, 1927 1,885,384 Snow Nov. 1, 1932 2,215,006 KovatsSept. 17, 1940 2,255,938 Moore Sept. 16, 1941 2,456,862 Chapman Dec. 21,1948 2,665,961 Anderson Jan. 12, 1954

